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Kobe Bryant is 'The Black Mamba'

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Talking Point Detective2/19/2011 9:40:22 pm PST

re: #212 prairiefire

I heard on NPR that early mankind was so fearful of bears, there was not even a recorded name for them for many years. The experts thank that bear evolved from the word “brun” for brown. As in “that big brun thing just ate my ma.”

Had some very close encounters with black bears in Kings Canyon last summer. Attacks from black bears in that region are extremely rare, but they are amazingly intimidating animals. One came into camp when we were hiking on a day trip. I came back to find my nalgene water bottle pierced clear through by a well-placed canine. Imagine what that bite would do to your leg.

The way to deal with those bears is to run at them shouting and throwing rocks. Not exactly your first instinct when you see them. But they do turn and run. One time one looked back and it felt like he was thinking, “Now just why am I running from those puny, pale creatures. They’d make a nice mid-afternoon snack.”